NYT: 'Unfortunate' TWC dropped al-Jazeera

1/4/13 10:30 AM EST

The New York Times editorial board is criticizing Time Warner Cable for dropping Current TV from its system after the sale to al-Jazeera.

"While the cable company has the legal right to cut off Current, the decision is unfortunate and could block access to an important news source," the editors write in a new editorial.

Time Warner Cable dropped Current TV immediately after it's sale to the Qatari-owned news network yesterday, cutting roughly 10 million homes from al-Jazeera's future distribution in the United States, according to an network spokesman. TWC said the decision was not political, and later added that it was "keeping an open mind" and would "evaluate whether it makes sense, for our customers, to launch the network."

But al-Jazeera's existence in the United States has always been political, which is part of the reason that they had to buy their way into the market via Current.

"Many American policy makers and cable companies have had doubts about the impartiality of Al Jazeera, which is owned and financed by the emir of Qatar," the Times editors write, adding that the Qatari emir, "though he works closely with Washington on some issues, has interests and agendas that are sometimes at odds with United States interests."

"Nonetheless, Al Jazeera could bring an important international perspective to American audiences and should be given a chance to prove itself commercially before cable companies remove Current TV from their lineups," they argue.

"Doubts about the independence of Al Jazeera do not justify removing it from cable and satellite systems," the go on to write. "With the exception of a few places, like Washington and New York City, Al Jazeera English is not available to most American viewers. Why not let them make up their own minds about the network and its journalism?"

Even Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who calls the network "anti-American," said last night that he was "not for censoring al-Jazeera."